Her Prince Consort
by queenie-riza
Summary: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles was an overall appealing man yet being who she was, Elsa had a curiosity for more than his aesthetics- especially since she was to marry him.
1. Chapter 1

** A/N:** This turned out to be a more involved thing than I first thought it was going to be so I'm splitting it up into chapters. Expect the next one within the next few weeks. As for the story/setting/synopsis, it's in-universe but doesn't follow canon. eoe) Sort of like what could have happened if Elsa never hurt Anna and they grew up together? Either way, enjoy!

* * *

"A prince consort." Elsa blinked once, then twice in hopes that she had it all wrong. "As in-"

"You're getting married." Gerda was careful to enunciate every word as she tucked Elsa's hair into an elaborate bun.

The Queen pressed her mouth shut as she processed the prior conversation. It started with the usual morning greetings, questions of the day's plans, and expected flatteries from the house maid. But Elsa should have known something was up when Gerda started to inquire about the romance in her life. They both knew it was Princess Anna who was more inclined to partake in such topics so why bother discussing trivialities such as romance and love with the elder sister? Unless, of course, it was to announce that she was, in fact, engaged.

A few beats of silence passed between the two women before Elsa found her voice.

"But why? I've been managing the kingdom just fine on my own."

"Oh, your majesty, it's not about that! It's more like…" Gerda paused. "Maintaining good relations with your allies and establishing an even stronger alliance!" She beamed almost too brightly and stuck a pin into the bun.

"I see." Elsa flinched at the force and smoothed out the wrinkles in her gloves. "When-...When will I meet him?"

"This evening for dinner."

"Wait, what!? So soon? Why was I not informed earlier?" The Queen rose from her seat with a sense of urgency.

"He-! He arrived on short notice! Oh, please, your majesty…! I'm not done!" Gerda threw her hands up to stop Elsa from leaving, eyeing a lock of the platinum blonde hair that she had yet to tame.

Elsa took in a breath and reluctantly sat back down, her hands were tightly wound in each other and a frown strained her features.

What kind of fiancé fails to _promptly_ announce his arrival?

"I don't think I'll like this prince consort much at all."

"Oh, Queen Elsa," Gerda clicked her tongue, a inkling of irritation at Elsa's ambivalence dared to manifest. "It's inevitable that this happen. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner but no other neighboring kingdoms had eligible princes around your age, you see." Another pin was stabbed into the queen's hair bun. "And it's only recently that we discovered this arrangement was already processed by your father and the king of the Southern Isles agreed to further strengthen their partnership in trade by having Arendelle's eldest princess wed the Southern Isles' prince closest to her in age."

"So this is nothing more than an obligation to maintain my father's reputation as a respectable man? Who keeps his word even in death?" Elsa uttered bitterly.

Gerda gasped. "My queen!"

"I'm sorry." Elsa released a heavy breath. "How could he have kept this a secret from me? Why am I finding this out just now?"

"Well, your majesty, you know how they say things happen for a reason. All the difficult things one face can only make them stronger in the end." Finished with her task, Gerda pulled her hands away from Elsa's hair and leaned over to offer a smile.

"I suppose." Elsa murmured. "I will try to acknowledge my father's decision and agreement with the Southern Isles." She stood and beckoned for her crown. "But because this arrangement had transpired with the intention to better the relations between Arendelle and the Southern Isles, if I find that it will do no such thing, I will do everything in my power to prevent the engagement from following through."

* * *

Elsa reached for her cup of tea as her sister prattled on and poked questions at their guest.

"Twelve brothers?! Wow, if there were that many Elsas-" Anna paused to turn to the queen. "Well, that would be something, heh."

Her lip quirked at the thought, silently agreeing that only one Elsa and one Anna was enough.

"If there were, I'm sure you all would have an even lovelier home."

The tea cup halted at her lips as Elsa looked up to the man who had spoken. He was looking back at her, a polite smile on his face. His eyes were earnest with ignorance and Elsa set the cup down without taking a sip.

"Clearly, Prince Hans, you must know nothing about me in order to make that comment." She returned his polite smile and gripped at her skirts under the table.

A chill settled over them.

"She-!" Anna cleared her throat. "She means that she's just not the kind of person to, uh- I mean, Elsa- Er, _Queen_ Elsa likes her privacy and having more sisters- more siblings, y'know, would just intrude on her life." The princess held her breath and her eyes darted from Hans to Elsa.

"I see." Hans lowered his gaze. "My apologies for being… Presumptuous."

"Oh, no!" Anna reached a hand toward him as a gesture of assurance. "Don't be! It's not like you even really know anything- Uh. Well, considering this is all an arranged thing between you-" She took in a sharp breath, knowing full well she was not helping ease the tension.

"Anna." Elsa spoke with tight lips and looked to her sister.

Princess Anna seemed to shrink in her chair. "Yes, your majesty?"

"Remember the time you snuck out of the castle?" Elsa looked back to her plate and continued to pick at the cold food.

Anna sat back up, reanimated, and clapped her hands together. "Oh, yeah! That's-" She readjusted in her seat to lean against the table. "That's a really funny story!"

Elsa could almost relax as her sister picked up on the need for pointless chatter to fill the atmosphere. She listened to the tale as she snuck peeks of the prince.

Rust red hair, green eyes, skin dotted with freckles.

An overall appealing man yet being who she was, Elsa had a curiosity for more than his aesthetics- especially since she were to marry him. A myriad of questions came to her as she realized just how wide the gaps of knowledge were in between what she already knew of her prince consort.

Thirteenth son of the Southern Isles, an admiral in their navy as well as a skilled swordsman.

But what of the details?

Elsa parted her lips to ask her insistent questions but Anna beat her to it.

"What was it like growing up in the Southern Isles? I'm sure it's way different than Arendelle!"

Hans chuckled and obliged her with an answer. "Well, the weather is quite humid and the estate is very big. It almost challenges your own home. It makes up for the rest with large fields so my brothers and I can train our horses-"

"Horses!? Ah, I have a horse too but our fields aren't as large as yours, I'm sure. We only have one, mine, since Elsa never learned how to ride."

Their eyes quickly glanced to the queen, who remained quiet and only gave a confirming nod. They continued their banter and Elsa released an unnoticed breath. With Anna in the room, she knew the chance to have her own moment with the prince would not present itself.

_As queen, your patience and tolerance will always be tested._

She could almost hear her mother's voice as it was when she only a child and a sudden longing for the past's simpler times struck her. Elsa sat in silence, listening in on the others' conversation as a loathing of fate started to fester within the recesses of her mind.

* * *

"Elsa, please! You have to go meet with him." Anna struggled to keep pace with her sister.

"I don't _have_ to." Elsa narrowed her eyes and kept her chin up. "Besides, you told him _you'd_ show him around the castle."

"Well, yeah but how bad would that seem? He's _your_ fiancé and I'm just trying to fix things-!" The princess nearly tripped walking backwards as she faced the queen.

"Fix what? What needs fixing?" Elsa stopped moving for Anna's sake.

"The thing at dinner yesterday! I- I totally made things awkward between you two and I'm sorry." Anna's hands found their way in each other's grip. "I know this whole thing is just weird, it's an arranged marriage and you two hardly know each other let alone love each other. I mean, if you two weren't already engaged, I would be the one showing him around right now!" Anna's distracted smile found its way to her lips. "He's such an interesting person, Elsa, I'm sure you'll-"

"You like him."

"Wait- What-?! No!" Anna's face reddened and her hands gestured in protest. "No, no! I can't! I don't! He's- Well, he _is_ handsome and charming and a prince! But- Oh, Elsa," She reached to grip the queen's shoulders. "He's… Your prince consort or whatever they call it."

"Anna, I don't even like him." Elsa dismissed her and continued walking. "But I can tell you do. Maybe you can marry him instead, he already gets along with you far better than I."

"I can't do that, Elsa. Even if I wanted to, it's against the rules. Things are just happening the way they are. If you give it a chance, maybe it won't be so bad. You know how mom and dad were an arranged thing too. " Anna kept up with her, keeping her eyes to the floor. She was increasingly aware of the hole she had been digging for herself but could not find it in her to stop talking. "I bet they didn't care about each other at first like you two but at the same time, they both knew that they had to do it. For the sake of the kingdom, y'know? And they eventually grew to love each other and-" Her voice cracked."And they were happy."

Elsa gave no reply. She knew of their parents' history. At Anna's request, their mother would tell them stories of her relationship with their father. Elsa recalled how the former queen started the tales by emphasizing just how apathetic she was towards him. But after some time and being forced in each other's company long enough, they found the love they had for each other. Elsa was not sure just how much hype her mother put into the stories for the sake of living up to romantic fairy tales, but she could not deny the sincerity in the eyes of her parents when they looked upon each other back when they were a complete family living in the castle. Anna had always been the bigger fan of such tripe and it was still evident in the way she hoped for things between Prince Hans and her sister to work out.

Elsa had not spoken to nor seen Hans since they separated ways after dinner. If he searched for her or stayed in his appointed guest room, she did not know and decided she did not care. But Anna's optimism wormed its way into her conscience and she stopped walking. Anna paused after her and watched her think. Elsa remembered what she had told Gerda earlier that morning.

As queen, she did not live her life for herself after all.

Anna cleared her throat. "Are you eventually going to tell him that you can ma-"

"Where is he?" Elsa interrupted her.

"Oh, I told him I'd meet him in the courtyard around noon-" Anna glanced back at the clock they just passed. "Er-, now."

The queen took in a breath. "You are my right hand, yes?" She looked to the princess.

"Y-yes! Of course, your majesty. But your pow-"

"Then while I accompany Prince Hans around the castle, will you take over my duties for today? Only coming to seek me when you absolutely must?"

"Absolutely! I will do my best! Does that mean you're going to tell-"

"Can I trust your judgement?"

"Oh. Uh-"

"Then I leave you in charge while I risk giving this thing a chance."

.

.

.

_To be continued._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I am _terribly_ sorry it's been almost a month since I've updated this. When I first started writing this fic, I had so many ideas and was having trouble committing to any considering Chapter 1 left things rather open for any direction. But after a while of writing out a handful synopses and coming up with some headcanons, I decided what I wanted to do with this fic. As I mentioned in my previous author's note, the setting of this is sort of AU where Elsa didn't hurt Anna like how she did in canon so things ended up a bit different than in canonverse. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and again, I am sorry! My beta has also been busy with school and work lately; if it wasn't for her unavailability to beta for me, this would've been posted much earlier.

* * *

"Prince Hans." She caught him peering into one of the fountains in the courtyard. He turned to her and flashed his courteous smile.

"Your majesty." Hans bowed his head. "I'm expecting Princess Anna. Is she-"

"She told me how you two made plans to explore the castle together.

"Oh! Ah-" His smile fell and he glanced away momentarily. "I'm sorry. After last night, I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"It's nothing to worry about." Elsa shook her head and managed a civil expression. "Perhaps I can accompany you this afternoon instead? Anna might just tire you out like she did during last night's dinner conversation."

His mouth was left agape as he took an extra moment to process her proposal. "Yes." He spoke slowly, cautiously. "Of course, Queen Elsa." Hans bowed his head once more and offered her his arm.

Elsa glanced to it then to his face.

_Eager and still clueless. _

She cleared her throat and turned away from him. "After a tour of the castle, maybe I can show you around the town. It's no secret now that we are to be wed."

Hans caught up with her in a few strides and walked with her. "It's not. I'm sure your subjects are having a grand time with this new gossip fodder."

Elsa could've sworn she heard a hint of sarcasm in the way he spoke. She tried to fight it but gave in and peeked up at the prince. Her eyes met with his own and she quickly looked away, feigning apathy in her expression yet her body spited her in the way heat settled in her cheeks.

"Have you always known about the engagement?" She spoke with indifference, hoping to fend off the inevitable silence between them.

"Since I was eighteen. All of my brothers were set in arranged marriages before me. I knew that if I were to be in one as well, I would not know for sure until the day of my eighteenth birthday." Hans was quick to answer, his words steady with a nonchalance that matched hers. "But you didn't know until yesterday, correct?"

Elsa halted and looked up at him, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Correct. I was never informed that such an arrangement existed till the documents were uncovered in our archives just recently. I'm curious though. Why is it I never heard from the Southern Isles regarding the engagement?"

He looked back at her with a knowledgeable stare. "After the premature passing of the late King and Queen of Arendelle, my father thought it best to postpone the agreement he made with yours until you became of age to take over as Queen."

"And he's still so confident that I'd allow it to follow through?" Elsa looked away sharply to continue moving. Having him mention her parents introduced a simmering anger inside. She heard Hans release a sharp breath behind her and his footsteps as he walked after her.

"I know as well as you, as well as anyone else who knows of the details that you need this marriage to happen. Arendelle needs it and you'd be a foolish selfish queen to keep it from taking place." His words were biting and she recoiled as they hit her.

Elsa stopped moving and shot a scowl at the prince. "Do not forget who you are speaking to, Prince Hans. I may be your fiancée but before that, I am the queen of the kingdom where you are merely a guest. Your insolence will not be easily overlooked the next time." She held her hands at her side but could not stop them from tightening into fists. The fabric of her gloves stretched over her knuckles and her posture grew tense as she felt the numbing cold throb inside her.

_Conceal! _

Hans held her stare with his own as none said a word. She felt him watching her, scrutinizing her with unknown intention.

"Of course, your majesty. My apologies." He bowed his head in submission and shifted his eyes to the ground. "I just hope you are aware of what is at stake if you nullify our engagement. Not only will the Southern Isles be without safer trading routes and Arendelle as a prioritized trade partner but Arendelle will be without military protection in the form of a naval fleet under my command. And as I understand it to be," Hans began to lift his head, catching Elsa's gaze once more. "Your kingdom has no outstanding military force and has been without one since the reigning of its previous king. It's that fact that led him to organize the alliance between the Southern Isles and Arendelle, is it not?"

Elsa took in a breath and found she could not look away.

Were his eyes always that green?

"It was explained as such in the letters I've recovered." The queen crossed her arms, pinning her hands against her sides. "With our marriage, such an alliance will be made. The Southern Isles will be allowed to use Arendelle and its surrounding waters as a port for trade while the naval fleets under the command of Prince Hans will serve as a military and police force." She reiterated what she read over and over, almost memorizing, what was contained in the papers written by her father.

Hans stood straight and smiled, satisfied at Elsa's display of compliance. "The world is becoming a dangerous place, your majesty. It would be most unwise to deny your kingdom the protection it will inevitably need- the protection I am willing to give it."

Elsa held her tongue then and they continued their castle tour. The truth invaded her thoughts despite her attempts to distract herself with the glorious sights of the architecture of Arendelle's castle. She spoke only to explain to the prince the history of what they came across and to answer his shallow questions. But she could not ignore the wailing in her head over how unfair things have become for her in such a short time.

_As queen, you will need to put the needs of the people and kingdom before your own. You will be making sacrifices, Elsa. You will do things you will not want to but know you must. _

She repeated her mother's words to herself. It gave a bit of solace to know her engagement fell under what was referred to but whenever she heard the prince's voice or when he stepped into her line of vision, a bitterness boiled over. Elsa kept a tight grip with her hands folded over each other. The icey pricks in her fingertips threatened to give way and she could only bite the insides of her cheeks and close her eyes to pace her breathing in hopes it passed. She was successful for the duration of the time spent with Prince Hans and tried to stifle her sour mood when they reached the lavishly lush garden but fate decided to be especially cruel to her.

"Interesting."

Elsa released a silent sigh, already tired of the prince's comments. She looked over and caught him observing the orchid flowers that lined one side of the stone walkway in the garden. A sudden swell of pride rushed inside her and she stepped next to the prince.

"Orchids, my parents' favorite flower. In their memory, I make sure to have them planted every year." She spoke fondly of the sentiment and for a moment, she did not care that she was with Prince Hans. Elsa only saw the memories of her father offering her mother a bouquet of orchids. Sometimes, it was because of some occasion while other times, there was no occasion at all. Their smiles were her favorite things as a child and although she'd never admit it to anyone, not even Anna out of fear of souring the flower's meaning to her, seeing the orchid flowers only reminded her of the happy faces of her parents.

"You're aware of what's been said about orchids, yes?" Hans took a step away from the flowers. "How they look a lot like-" He paused as if finding the exact appropriate words. "Like the most intimate parts of a woman." He ended with a slight snicker before shaking his head and looking back at the flowers with a snide scoff.

Elsa only felt a searing heat settle in her chest when she realized what he said. Her body grew frigid and her hands shook with an anger that nearly drove her to tears. Crossing her arms, she turned sharply and squeezed her eyes closed to count her breaths. Her brisk strides carried her past Hans and further along the walkway until she met with disaster.

She had not seen the flower pot in front of her before closing her eyes but it still clipped her foot as when tried to step through it. Elsa stumbled forward in surprise, promptly tripping over the pot and knocking it over. Her cry lingered in the air as her knees skidded across the brick pavement. She had tried to catch her fall but failed to untangle her arms in time and felt the grime of the ground scrape her forehead. The dirt from the overturned pot scattered around her, staining her dress and gloves and when she noticed, she only thought of how Gerda would scold her.

"Queen Elsa!"

She heard Hans call her name and his hasty footsteps were followed by his presence hovering over her.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

His codling only irritated her and she started to pick herself up, only wanting to be alone.

"Why do you care so-!" Elsa snapped at him but his hand along her arm that attempted to help her up sent a shock through her body. The warmth felt like flames that licked against bare skin. A roaring rang in her ears as her magic began to overwhelm her from inside, seeking release.

"Dont touch me!" She threw her arms out in his direction, her hands planted themselves on his chest and she shoved him away. Hans toppled over the shrubs that lined the walkway of the garden and spat out a curse in surprise.

Elsa was quick to leave. She held herself in her arms and ignored the raw pain at her bruised knees as she made her way back inside the castle.

_Don't feel._

_Don't feel!_

* * *

Hans only grimaced at the dirt stains on his gloves. He looked back up in time to catch Elsa disappear through one of the doors leading inside the castle across the yard. His hand, the hand that touched her, flexed and he let out a breath as he stood to step out of the bushes.

_Had I been that careless?_

He pinched at the one of the fingertips of his glove and pulled it off. Staring at his palm, he willed a calmness to take him over as the heat that once burned through his system fell into a simmer. The panic over the queen's well-being subsided and he welcomed the cooling breeze that passed by.

Running his hands over his coat to straighten it out was when he noticed. He quickly pulled away and looked down when he felt the ice that clung to the fabric of his lapels.

Exactly where Elsa had laid her hands on him.

.

.

.

_To be continued._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the follows/favs/reviews! I know some of you have expressed an interest in this and are looking forward to more of it so I can only hope I wont dissapoint. Here's chapter 3! It has a whopping 3k words compared to my usual 2k fics /shrugs/ Enjoy~

* * *

"I still can't believe you tripped over a pot of all things!" Anna laid on the chaise, picking through a box of chocolates she swiped from the kitchen as Gerda tended to the scrape on Elsa's forehead. "He must have really made you mad. What did he say?"

Elsa puffed up her cheeks and shut her eyes. Her hands grabbed at her skirts in response to the sting of the antiseptic applied to her wound. "He-" She released a sharp breath and spoke with a low voice. "He accused father's orchid plants of looking like…" She cleared her throat. "In his words, 'like the most intimate parts of a woman.'"

A silence ticked by until hoots of laughter erupted through all but the queen. She scowled at their amusement and scoffed.

"Oh, oh, Queen Elsa." Gerda shook her head and held back a grin. "The Prince certainly has a sense of humor."

"A sense-?! That's not what I'd call it. He's completely disrespectful… And inconsiderate." Elsa crossed her arms and tried to do the same with her legs but her bruised knees throbbed in protest. She decided to not mention how the prince came directly to her aid once she hit the ground, knowing the other women would blow it out of proportion. "The only reason he's here is to commit to the engagement and he only wants our marriage to happen because he has everything to gain from it." Her voice gave out at the end.

"Well, of course." Anna piped up. "In a sense, he'll become king-"

"Hardly." Elsa spoke through tight lips. "Perhaps through technicalities but I will not allow him any role outside that of Admiral Westergard. Arendelle is my kingdom-"

"Our kingdom." The princess offered. "There's no way I'm letting him take my place as your right hand, either." She popped a truffle into her mouth, letting a pleased sigh escape her. "Besides, being an admiral or whatever will probably fill his plate of responsibilities."

"Along with those of a husband."

"Gerda!" Elsa stamped her foot, sending a blistering wind throughout the room. The draperies flapped about and the bandages set aside were blown to the ground. Anna yelped as her skirt nearly turned inside-out and Gerda's apron flew into her face.

"Elsa!" Anna barked and stood upright to smooth out her clothes. "She was only kidding!"

"My apologies, your majesty! I did not mean to upset you." Gerda busied herself to pick up whatever was strewn about on the floor. "I- I will go fetch new clean bandages for you!" The maid quickly left the room, leaving the two sisters behind.

As Anna flipped her skirts back over her legs and gathered the chocolates that were tossed out of the box, the Queen remained silent in her seat.

_Husband._

She shuddered and closed her eyes but only saw Hans before her, clad in Arendelle's royal suits. A smirk twisted his face as he reached up adjust her father's crown on his head. He was not wearing gloves and she could see the glint of the gold band around his finger. She felt the similar one she wore around her own finger and she itched to pry it off. He snickered and held his hand out to her.

_My queen._

His smug voice wormed its way into her head and she wanted to scream. Elsa gripped at her gloves, pinching and pulling at them as a nervous fidget. She started to curl into herself, her straight poised posture faltering as thoughts of her fiance consumed her.

"Elsa!" Her sister's plea was followed by a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Her focus returned and Elsa remembered to breathe. She looked up to Anna and parted her lips to speak but noticed light snowflakes falling from the ceiling.

"Oh…" She murmured as she started to ache with shame. "I'm sorry-"

"Are you okay?" Anna placed both hands on her shoulders and looked at her. "This hasn't happened in-" The princess looked up at the falling snow. A slight smile settled on her lips as admiration filled her gaze. "In a while."

"I know, I'm just-" Elsa felt the tightness in her body leave her and she nearly slumped in her seat. "I don't want to do this."

Anna looked back at her elder sister and kneeled on the ground to look up into her face. "The engagement." She did not need to ask.

Elsa nodded. "I have to though." She bit out and returned to picking at her gloves. "I know I have to."

The princess reached to take Elsa's hands. "This is really hard for you, I know. Any minute, I'm expecting you to throw him out. He really seems to get on your nerves and honestly, a part of me wouldn't be surprised if you found a way to cancel the whole thing."

Elsa stared at their hands and listened. The way Anna spoke with a whimsical and hopeful edge never failed to bring her back from the inner storms she conjured within herself.

"I know the marriage would be good for Arendelle but you deserve your happiness too! I thought maybe things would work out between you guys and you'd at least get a long but it doesn't seem like that's happening." The princess sighed as disappointment replaced the hope in her voice. "You shouldn't have to force yourself to do this."

"It's my responsibility-"

"I know and that's the thing!" Anna interrupted her and quickly moved to hug her sister. "You're the Queen, everything you do is your responsibility. You never do anything for yourself and that's…. Well, that's not fair! On top of that, you're still hiding your powers from everyone else. I know dad said to keep them hidden otherwise the kingdom wont accept you." She pulled away to hold Elsa in her gaze. "But they're a part of who you are and it's amazing!"

Elsa looked back at Anna and let her speak. Her words of encouragement and support soothed her personal demons and while unaware of it, the snow that dusted the room ceased falling. Yet despite Anna's efforts, Elsa could not bring herself to act on her desires.

_This isn't just about me and what I want for myself anymore. I can't decide anything while considering just my own feelings._

The Queen took in a breath and opened her mouth to voice her thoughts but then Anna tugged at her gloves.

"Why do you still wear these anyway? They don't really help much anymore." She pointed out the thin layer of frost around the room. "They're getting stronger. Have you been practicing?"

"I…" Elsa stared at her gloves. Evidence of daily use of the past few years shown through the fading color and baring threads. Even the embroidered patterns on the backs of her hands started to loosen. "They used to help keep things under control." She murmured and started to pull them off. "I don't really practice much like before though. Everything has been busy." With her hands bare, Elsa looked at them. They did not threaten to tremble like when she was younger and unsure of her abilities but she still felt the unease start to unfold within her.

Anna slipped a hand over hers. "Maybe you should start practicing again but keep the gloves off. See?" Her fingers laced over her sister's and she smiled. "You don't need those gloves to control your powers, you're doing just fine. Just believe that you can and you can do it!"

Elsa let out a slight laugh and gripped Anna's hand. "Thank you. I know what I need to do now. I'm not going to like it but," She took her hand back and sat up, her back straight with discipline. "As Queen of Arendelle, I have duty to do what is best for my people."

The princess giggled at the sudden tone of authority her sister took on and bowed her head to play along. "Of course, Your majesty." She peeked back up at Elsa. "Just don't lose yourself along the way."

* * *

Only the sounds of silverware that dragged along porcelain plates was heard in the dining room. As she sat at the head of the table and picked at her slice of pot roast, Elsa's nerves were on end. It was too quiet and at any moment she was expecting Anna to start talking about whatever was on her mind. But the princess's voice never came to slay the silence.

Elsa let out a steady breath as she held the silverware in her bare hands. There were no traces of frost that ate away at whatever she touched. With much coercing from Anna, Elsa had agreed to leave her gloves tucked into the bottom of the most unused drawer of her dresser.

"Where is the princess?"

She looked up from her hands to her only companion for the evening.

From one seat away, his green eyes blinked expectantly.

"My sister had some other matters to attend to at this time and regrets that she will be unable to join us."

She was not lying.

Not really.

But as soon as Anna mentioned that she would forgo dinner so that the queen and the prince could have a chance to set things straight, Elsa decided she would not tell him the direct truth if he asked.

"Hm." Hans shrugged and tended to the meal in front of him. "Is your forehead ok?" He referred to the healing patch of scabs above her left eye.

Elsa felt the heat of embarrassment creep up her neck and silently willed a chill to settle over her. She gripped her silverware as soon as she felt the ice stirring inside her. "It's fine." Although she knew it must have looked ghastly in the lighting of the dining room. Perhaps refusing to keep a bandage over it was not the best idea. "It's been cleaned and a medicinal ointment has been applied."

The prince nodded as if in approval. "Good to know it's being treated. Scars wouldn't suit you, Your Majesty."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, unsure if that was sarcasm or an earnest jest. "Oh, I'll be sure to keep in mind that you prefer your brides-to-be flawless and impeccable." She retorted, deciding it was mostly likely the former, and stabbed at a cherry tomato on her plate. As she stared at how her fork tore through the flesh of the tomato, the stirring in her began to cease and the queen put more focus into the tangible distraction.

Hans let out a chuckle and Elsa struggled to keep her eyes on the golden seeds that bled out of the small red fruit.

"No." He disagreed and brought his glass of wine to his lips as he watched her. After a sip he cleared his throat. "Being flawless and impeccable," He began and laced his fingers together as he brought his elbows onto the table. "would make anyone much too boring to be around at any given time."

"Boring." Elsa let out a breath and started to cut the tomato into pieces with her fork.

"Mmm." Another sip of wine. "Yes, and you, Queen Elsa, are far from flawless and impeccable, aren't you?"

Her hold on the fork tightened and she was almost sure it would have snapped in half if not made of metal. Elsa was not entirely receiving of his comment yet she was not entirely rejecting of it either. The conflict made her brows furrow in frustration.

"If that is so, it must mean that I'm far from boring as well." She quipped and felt a quiver start in her hand, sending the tines of the fork nearly tapping against the plate. With a gulp, she set the silverware down and brought her hands under the table. Her eyes caught his in time to see that he had noticed.

Did he notice she was not wearing gloves for the first time around him as well?

"Precisely." He offered a coy smile before gesturing towards her and back at himself. "Which is why I think- I hope that we can eventually find a common ground to ensure our marriage only ends up successful."

Elsa would have snorted if she was not taught that a woman of her breeding does not behave so crudely. Instead, she glowered at him and dared to summon an iciness into the room.

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't like boring."

Despite the dropping temperature, Hans did not seem to react. He only continued to watch her, almost expectantly, and held his lips in a sneer.

His smug confidence and blatant declaration rendered the queen at a loss for words. She only sat still, her bare hands tightening into fists in her lap. Elsa stared at the remains of the cherry tomato on her plate as she pieced together what had been said.

_Far from flawless and impeccable. That's one way to put it._

She struggled to put in more effort in holding back her magic as her heart throbbed in her chest.

_And being so doesnt make me boring._

A shaky sigh escaped her.

_But now he claims that he doesn't like boring. Is he trying to say…_

Her thoughts trailed off as assumption after assumption began to assault her and Elsa reluctantly looked up at him. Her blue eyes would have sent actual daggers of ice in his direction if they possessed that ability. Instead, she stared at him hard and cold.

"I don't think that's possible." Her voice threatened to give out and she hoped it was not too obvious.

Hans shifted in his seat to sit up straighter and lifted an eyebrow. "Not possible?" He repeated.

"For us to-" She cleared her throat. "To find a common ground. This is merely an arranged marriage, something neither of us consented to." Her hands began to loosen as she voiced her concerns. "We both have a mutual understanding of what's to come of our union and its all for the sake of politics and our kingdoms' well being. So let's not make the mistake of _hoping_ that it could ever be anything more because it won't be."

Elsa pressed her lips together and caught the frown that overtook the prince's face. He looked away from her to process her tangent and brought his hands together to place on the table in front of him. Elsa swallowed the knot in her throat and an anticipating relief had settled over her.

"You seem so confident nothing will be more than superficial with us." Hans finally spoke and shifted his gaze back to her.

Was that disappointment in his features?

Elsa shook off her reservations. "I am because I want it that way."

"And being the Queen, you always get what you want." He spoke pointedly and an inkling of his boorish smirk was present on his features once more.

"I-!" She took in a sharp breath, flustered over realizing that her words came across more childish as she intended. "This marriage," Elsa collected herself while mindful of the frost forming over her fingertips. In response to the ice, she wiped at her skirts. "Is to be one strictly based on what our fathers had agreed on. It's foundations will be that of politics and business and formality." The edge in her voice grew sharper with each word. The atmosphere had grown intensely numbing and in the back of her mind, Elsa questioned the prince's lack of reaction to the cold.

Maybe it was just her.

After a few seconds of silence, Hans opened his mouth to retaliate, she assumed, but Elsa stood and silenced him.

"If you'll excuse me." The queen gathered her dress to conceal her hands as best as she could and hurried out of the dining room with light steps.

* * *

Alone, Hans leaned against his chair and sighed. A puff of smoke billowed out from in between his lips and he fanned it away, his face twisting from the ashy smell.

"Politics…" He muttered to himself and stood from his seat, the callous words from his fiancee had driven away his appetite.

The door opened and he looked up expectantly, witty banter already on his tongue, but only met the eyes of a house maid.

"Oh," Hans drawled and motioned to the table free of occupants. "We're done here."

The maid nodded and stepped back out to fetch whatever it was she needed to clean up with. Hans made his way around the table, hands clasped in each other behind his back as he walked with an agitated gait. He approached the seat the queen had occupied and-

_Crunch!_

Hans took a quick step back in alarm and looked to the floor. Creeping along the carpet from under the table was a rather thick layer of ice. An intricate pattern of snowflakes and frosty tendrils nearly glistened where the light touched it. The prince dropped to his knees to look at it more closely. He picked up a piece of the ice that cracked under his weight and it almost melted immediately at his touch despite the gloves he wore. He scowled and glared at his own hand before looking back to the ice, his eyes following it under the table.

His breath escaped him upon his further discovery.

Starting from the chair where Queen Elsa had sat, a sheet of ice had made its way almost halfway under the table and started to reach further out from under. Hans picked up another shard of ice, not caring that it melted and dampened his gloves. He looked back at the remaining broken pieces and caught his shattered reflection with a smirk on his lips.

"Most definitely not boring."

.

.

.

_To be continued._


End file.
